The following includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention(s). It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art, or material, to the presently described or claimed inventions, or that any publication or document that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of tools for cleaning baseboards and more specifically relates to a baseboard cleaning apparatus to dampen, clean, and dry baseboards thoroughly, so a user does not have to be on their hands and knees to accomplish the task while providing a fast and effective way to clean scrub and dry the baseboards.
2. Description of the Related Art
In architecture, a baseboard (also called skirting board, skirting, mopboard, floor molding, as well as base molding) is a (generally wooden) board covering the lowest part of an interior wall. Its purpose is to cover the joint between the wall surface and the floor. It covers the uneven edge of flooring next to the wall; protects the wall from kicks, abrasion, and furniture; and can serve as a decorative molding. At its simplest, baseboard consists of a simple plank nailed, screwed or glued to the wall; however, particularly in older houses, it can be made up of a number of moldings for decoration. Plastic baseboard comes in various plastic compounds, the most common of which is UPVC. It is usually available in white or a flexible version in several colors and is usually glued to the wall. Vinyl baseboard is glued with adhesive and can be difficult to remove or to replace. It has a long lifespan, which can mean lower maintenance.
Cleaning baseboards is always an arduous task. Too often, baseboards are just dusted using a vacuum cleaner brush or a broom. To do a thorough job of cleaning, the person cleaning must be down on hands and knees, often using a sponge or scrubber to eliminate stubborn accumulations. Unfortunately, it is very uncomfortable to clean the baseboards while on his hands and knees, and bending over to reach the baseboards creates too much stress on his back.
Various attempts have been made to solve the above-mentioned problems such as those found in U.S. Pat. No. 7,296,943 to Yvonne Sandoval; U.S. Pat. No. 8,276,236 to Goodman et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 7,418,758 to Jorge Avila. This art is representative of tools for cleaning baseboards. None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the invention as claimed.
Ideally, a baseboard cleaning apparatus should be user-friendly and safe in-use and, yet may operate reliably and be manufactured at a modest expense. Thus, a need exists for a baseboard cleaning apparatus to dampen, clean, and dry baseboards thoroughly, so a user does not have to be on their hands and knees to accomplish the task while providing a fast and effective way to clean scrub and dry the baseboards and to avoid the above mentioned problems.